Writing instrument



Nov. 2, 1954 R. A. LANOIE 2,693,171

WRITING INSTRUMENT Filed Nov 16, 1953 /l/-L/I I J FIG.3

- INVENTOR. RAYMOND A. LANOIE ATTORN EYS United States Patent WRITINGINSTRUIVIENT Raymond A. Lanoie, Providence, R. I., assignor to Lew Mfg.Co., a corporation of Rhode Island Application November 16, 1953, SerialNo. 392,260

3 Claims. (Cl. 12042.03)

The present invention relates to writing instruments and moreparticularly to the mechanical mechanism used to extract a markingdevice.

An object of the invention is to improve upon the construction ofwriting instruments, particularly by reducing the number of parts of theextracting mechanism.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a cylindricalguide member in an extracting mechanism which is spread at the upper endthereof so as to provide driving engagement with a cap that may befrictionally held thereby and eliminate the need for an exernal drivingboss.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a sectional view taken through the body of a writinginstrument illustrating a preferred employment of the extractingmechanism;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on lines 22 of Figure 1 showing thefrictional engagement of the boss of the extracting mechanism with thecasing;

Figure 3 is an exploded view showing the parts of the improvedextracting mechanism;

Figure 4 is a partial sectional view showing a modified employment ofthe extracting mechanism.

In proceeding with the invention, I provide a clutch tube withprojections thereon that slide within a slot in a guide member. To movethe clutch tube a sleeve having helical threads is slipped over theguide member, the threads engaging the projections. Relative rotation ofthe parts is efiected by providing a boss to engage the sleeve and apart of the casing and a spread portion at the upper end of the guidemember to engage another part of the casing, which rotation moves theclutch tube within the guide member.

Referring to the drawings which show merely by way of exampleembodiments of my invention, the writing instrument is provided with acasing which encloses the extracting mechanism, a clip 11 encirclingpart of the mechanism and extending outside of the casing 10 so as toretain the instrument in the owners pocket. A cap 12 is provided, whichserves as a driver for the extracting mechanism and which is adapted toengage one part thereof as will presently be more fully described. Themarking device 13 projects from the conical end 10' of the casing 10 andis frictionally clutched or held by a split tube 14. The clutch memberor tube 14 is adapted to be slidably received in a cylindrical guidemember 16 and is provided with two projections 15-15. The cylindricalguide member 16 is provided with a longitudinal slot 17 throughout itslength, the projections 15-15' of the clutch member 14 being adapted toslide therein. The clutch member 14 is normally within the slotted tube16 as shown in Figure 1 but may be projected through the lower end 18thereof towards the end of its movement through the slotted tube 16.

To effect this movement, a sleeve 20 having a helical slot 21 isslidably received upon the exterior of the cylindrical guide member 16.At the upper end of the sleeve 20 there is affixed a boss 22 having aknurled portion 23 and a rim 24. This boss is provided with a notch 25which is adapted to engage a projection 26 upon the sleeve 20 so as tobe fixed therewith. The

3 2,693,171 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 formed by cutting the tube at itsupper extent diametri' cally opposite the slot 17. These ears are thenspread outwardly and form a frictional engagement with the cap 12. Asthe guide member 16 is rotated within the sleeve 20, the clutch member14 will be advanced or retracted within the cylindrical guide member asa unit according to the direction of rotation of the guide member 16.The projections 1515' will slide freely through the helical slot 21during such rotation, and therefore, to advance or retract the markingdevice 13, it is merely necessary to hold the sleeve 20 and rotate theguide member 16.

To provide a structure whose parts will rotate freely against oneanother, two washers 29 and 30 are provided between the upper end of theboss 22 and the ears 27, 28 of the cylindrical guide member. Preferablythe lower washer 30 is made of some non-metallic material that will tendto self-lubricate the metallic parts on either side thereof. To hold theentire structure together, washers 31 and 32 are provided at the lowerend of the guide member, and the guide member is bent outwardly as at 33and 34 so as to urge the parts together. In this instance also thewasher 31 is preferably made from some non-metallic material.

According to the structure herein shown, the cylindrical guide member 16is adapted to be rotated by springing the ears 27, 28 outwardly to asufiicient distance so that as a cap 12 is fitted frictionally on theears 27,28, a tight enough fit will be effected to secure rotation ofthe tube 16. The purpose of bending the upper part of the tube 16outwardly is not only to provide a portion which may be engaged to berotated and thus eliminate the necessity of affixing a separate boss tothe tube but additionally forms a portion which will hold the parts intheir assembled relation as illustrated in Figure 1. As will be readilyapparent, the ear portion 27, 28 of the slotted tube 16 may be formed insuch a manner that it will resiliently hold an eraser should it be sodesired.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the cap 12 engages the cars27, 28 at spaced points in such a manner that should this be the onlybearing point between the mechanism and the cap, the cap would tend totip. To prevent such an action, however, the boss 22 has been providedin this instance with an enlarged rim 24, which, as seen in Figure 1, isof a diameter equal to the expanded diameter of the cars 27, 28, thusproviding a second engagement point of the cap 12 with the mechanism.Alternately the rim 24 may be omitted and the casing 10 provided with areduced diameter which will accept the bottom portion of the cap 12.

The mechanism shown herein may be arranged as shown in Figure 4 in whichthe parts are reversed so that the boss 22 engages the cap 12 and holdsthe mechanism therein. The ears 27, 28 engage the casing 10 and thecasing is provided with a reduced diameter section 12' to accept the endof cap 12. Additionally the clutch member 14 is made slightly longer sothat it will extend beyond the cars 27, 28 as shown.

I claim:

1. A writing instrument having a casing of two parts that are adaptedfor relative rotation, a boss frictionally held in one of said parts, asleeve having a helical thread therein received in said boss andattached thereto, said sleeve receiving a guide member with alongitudinal slot therein, a clutch member received in said guide memberand having a projection thereon extending through said slot in saidguide member and into engagement with said helical thread, said guidemember extending through said boss and having two longitudinal ears atits outer end formed of the same piece of material that are cuppedoutwardly, said ears engaging the other of said parts.

2. A writing instrument as in claim 1 wherein one of said parts is acasing and another of said parts is a cap.

means on said guide member to retain said ring in position, a clutchmember received within the guide member and having aprojectioniextending through said slot into said thread, a casing of twoparts adapted for relative rotation, one of said parts engaging saidboss and the other part engaging said ears.

No references cited.

